1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a container for storing and transporting hats. More specifically, the present invention relates to a container for storing and transporting baseball style caps.
2. Prior Art
Containers to store and hold hats are common within the prior art. There are many different styles of hats and related containers. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,839,217 issued to Trudeau on Jun. 17, 1958 discloses a portable container which has been designed for the storage and transport of military caps. This device allows for the storage and transportation of a single cap per device and is designed for the sole purpose of military style headwear.
With respect to billed or brim style caps, commonly referred to as baseball caps, storage containers are known in the prior art. Typically baseball caps are stored either singlely or in a shingled array. In order to align the baseball caps in a shingled array, the rear half of the crown portion is folded into the forward half of the crown portion and then is stacked upon another similarly folded baseball cap.
Typically the bill portion of a baseball cap is relatively stiff due to it being constructed of material such as cardboard. The crown portion of baseball caps are generally fabricated from cloth and are usually avoid of stiffening or reinforcing material.
Baseball cap storage devices disclosed in the prior art do not demonstrate a manner in which to prevent the crown portion of a baseball cap from being deformed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,480,023 issued to Puller on Jan. 2, 1996 discloses a cap container having an elongated body comprised of material such as cloth. Inside the elongated body baseball style caps can be inserted in a shingled array. Cloth material of the elongated body does not prevent the crown portion of the enclosed baseball caps from becoming deformed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,515 issued to Agostine on Jun. 11, 1991 discloses a hat container for the storage of baseball style caps in a shingled array. This device is made of rigid outer walls defining an interior compartment. Within the interior compartment, baseball caps are loosely restrained. This device, while providing a rigid exterior, does not secure the baseball caps in the interior portion and, thus, does not provide an adequate means to prevent the deformation of the crowned portion of the baseball cap.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singlely or in combination, seem to describe the present invention as claimed.